Niners linebacker tries to play nice

When Ahmad Brooks entered the NFL supplemental draft in 2006, the 49ers brought him out for a physical, and he thought he was going to wind up with them. The Bengals took him instead.

He said his agent told him the 49ers were talking with the Bengals about a trade for him last week, but the teams couldn't agree on a deal.

It took awhile, but Brooks is finally a 49er. He went through his first practice with them Monday and, with the season opener five days away, is taking a crash course in their terminology from linebackers coach Mike Singletary.

Brooks, picked up after being waived by the Bengals on Saturday, is listed at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, but he said his true weight is 265. He'll back up Patrick Willis at the weak-side inside position.

According to defensive end Justin Smith, who played with Brooks in Cincinnati, he's an excellent pickup.

"In football, as long as you're a big guy (who) can run, you're going to find a place to play," Smith said. "It's just a matter of him getting the defense down and trying to help us right off the bat. He's definitely got a lot of athletic gifts."

He's also definitely got a lot of baggage. He was charged in May with misdemeanor assault for allegedly slugging a woman in the face during a neighborhood argument in northern Kentucky. He said he didn't want to discuss the case, other than to say, "I didn't do anything wrong, (but) I just made a dumb decision."

He said the charge has been expunged from his record but didn't go into the details. His agent, Greg Williams, couldn't be reached for comment, and the attorney for the woman did not return a phone call.

Nolan said he didn't think Brooks, 24, represented a character risk for the team. "I know enough of (the case) to know that we're willing to take the opportunity to see what he can do," Nolan said.

Brooks said Nolan "told me what he expected and gave me detailed rules. And I'm going to follow them."

The assault case wasn't the first time Brooks has been in trouble. He twice led Virginia in tackles, but coach Al Groh kicked him off the team in 2005 for disciplinary reasons, including an arrest for marijuana possession. Brooks acknowledged Monday that he had failed two drug tests in college.

His dismissal led to his entering the supplemental draft. Instead of being a potential first-round pick, he was considered damaged goods. Injuries had limited him to six games his junior year. His weight had ballooned to 290, although he later cut 20 pounds to try to impress NFL scouts.

"Everybody has to live through their teenage years and their early 20s," Brooks said. "I'm pretty sure a lot of people have done dumb things at that age."

As a rookie, Brooks started five games at middle linebacker, but was replaced when the Bengals thought he wasn't ready for the demanding role.

Last year, they converted him to outside linebacker, figuring his bulk and athleticism could neutralize tight ends and pulling guards. He struggled to learn the new position but opened the 2007 season with eight tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. In the next game, he sustained a season-ending groin injury and underwent surgery.

The injury is "still lingering a little bit," he said. "I wouldn't say I'm at 100 percent but I'm close to it." It was more painful, he said, to be cut by the Bengals, a move he called "devastating. You never think it's going to happen to you."